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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fine — all right
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. club — for golf
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. club — a group
  15. rock — a stone
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — a trail
  24. date — the fruit

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