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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: fall · wave · season · ball · tear · hand · mouse · calf

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. hand — in cards
  11. tear — from crying
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. tear — to rip
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. fall — the season
  20. season — in sport
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hand — help
  23. season — of the year
  24. fall — to drop

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