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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. band — a music group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. kick — in football
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. band — a ring
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. dip — to sink
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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