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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — clever
  9. race — a contest
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. spell — a short time
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. race — humankind
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. race — the arms race
  20. ball — a dance
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spell — letters
  23. ball — a round shape
  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