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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cell — a phone
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — boats
  5. mine — for digging
  6. chip — for betting
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. perch — the fish
  13. cue — for pool
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. craft — a skill
  17. chip — to eat
  18. cue — a hint
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. cue — a signal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. calf — of the leg

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