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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. swing — music
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. swing — in golf
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. swing — to play on
  13. bear — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. track — a song
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. wax — to grow
  24. hide — to keep secret

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