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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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. clip — a video
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. mate — to breed
  21. mate — a friend
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bear — the animal

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