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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. lean — to bend
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — thin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. coach — a trainer

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