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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. drill — the tool
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rush — hurry
  8. drill — a practice
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — in biology
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — army training

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