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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 · field · nail · ball · wave · rash · spring · wake

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a great time
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spring — the season
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a dance
  16. field — for sport
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rash — hasty
  19. field — a subject
  20. spring — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. ball — a round shape

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