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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: staff · track · rest · lean · tear · calf · bat · wave

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. lean — thin
  3. bat — the animal
  4. staff — employees
  5. rest — a break
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. staff — a stick
  15. tear — to rip
  16. lean — to bend
  17. track — a song
  18. staff — employees
  19. rest — what's left
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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