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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 120 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: foot · bore · bat · calf · scale · shower · pass · wave

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. scale — in music
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. scale — size or range
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — the animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bat — for baseball

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