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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. cue — for pool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — in golf
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — to wash
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. degree — from a university
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — an amount

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