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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lie — to recline
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — army training
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — hurry
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. kid — child
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cue — a signal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. kid — to tease
  21. drill — a practice
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — to hurry

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