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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. last — final
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. cold — an illness
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — the earth
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. firm — a company
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. firm — steady
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cold — not warm
  22. last — to go on
  23. ground — a position
  24. last — finally

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