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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 120 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: rock · calf · bat · sharp · hide · saw · pound · wave

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pound — a weight
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. saw — the tool

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