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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. staff — employees
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. staff — a stick
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. season — in sport
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. drill — a practice
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. season — of the year
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. season — to add flavour

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