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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. file — a tool
  5. present — there
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — a short time
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. present — a gift
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — the tool
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — the time now
  22. file — a document
  23. can — a tin
  24. saw — the tool

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