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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. tube — a container
  5. face — to confront
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. tube — the underground
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mine — for digging
  12. hand — help
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. last — finally
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. face — to point toward
  24. calf — a young 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