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

Word bank: rule · calf · wave · kid · perch · tear

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rule — government
  16. kid — to tease
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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