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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bound — certain
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hand — help
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bound — obliged
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. shower — rain
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. patient — a sick person

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