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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. fork — in a road
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. net — after costs
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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