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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ball · current · calf · wave · spring · spell · pitcher · bore

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. current — happening now
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — letters
  8. current — of water
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — magic
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — the season
  23. current — electric
  24. calf — of the leg

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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