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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lean — to bend
  8. roll — a cake
  9. ball — a dance
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. roll — a list
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. chair — a leader
  19. band — a music group
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bear — the animal

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