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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. row — to paddle
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — hurry
  5. ball — a dance
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. ball — a great time
  10. plane — a tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a line
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fan — a supporter
  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