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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. rock — music
  3. scale — in music
  4. spring — a coil
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. charge — a price
  11. charge — in control
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — size or range
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. spring — of water
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — electricity
  20. date — the fruit
  21. rock — a stone
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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