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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: cold · calf · staff · wave · bound · ball · foot · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. rock — to move gently
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cold — an illness
  5. ball — a dance
  6. rock — music
  7. bound — obliged
  8. foot — a measure
  9. staff — employees
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — tied together
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cold — not warm
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rock — a stone
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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