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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. row — a line
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. bear — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lean — thin
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. mine — for digging

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