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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — a line
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cue — for pool
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cold — an illness
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. cue — a signal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a lid

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