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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 124 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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. fall — to drop
  3. row — to paddle
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. object — a thing
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. fall — the season
  10. band — a ring
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fall — to drop
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — to protest
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a line
  23. bear — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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