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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: wave · shower · saw · calf · row · key · bowl · mate

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. row — to paddle
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. mate — a partner
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mate — to breed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. key — in music
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. shower — to wash
  24. shower — rain

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