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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · ball · hide · fall · bear · game

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — wild animals
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — the animal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fall — to drop
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fall — the season
  18. game — a match

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