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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: firm · rash · cap · pop · calf · sharp · mate · wave

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — a friend
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. firm — decided
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cap — a hat
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. rash — a series
  15. pop — music
  16. cap — of ice
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. firm — a company
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cap — a lid
  24. rash — hasty

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