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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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Word bank
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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pass — a permit
  14. band — a music group
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. bear — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. calf — a young 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