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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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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — steady
  3. firm — a company
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. club — for golf
  8. cue — a hint
  9. last — to go on
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. last — final
  12. cue — for pool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — a group
  19. cue — a signal
  20. last — finally
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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