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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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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: calf · perch · roll · row · pitcher · rash · wave · spring

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — the season
  9. rash — a series
  10. spring — a coil
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. row — a line
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spring — of water
  17. roll — a list
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. rash — hasty
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — on a roll

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