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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. rush — hurry
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. tear — to rip
  20. staff — employees
  21. spring — of water
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com