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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.

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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: rest · wind · object · lean · safe · calf · wave · craft

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — thin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — a break
  9. craft — a skill
  10. object — a thing
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. object — to protest
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. safe — out of danger

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