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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 · date · cue · bay · branch · wave · net · calf

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. branch — a division
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. net — for catching
  9. rest — what's left
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. net — in sport
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. net — after costs
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rest — a break
  20. cue — for pool
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. date — the fruit
  23. cue — a hint
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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