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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: mate · calf · roll · wave · racket · shower · season · hand

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. mate — to breed
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. season — in sport
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. shower — rain
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. mate — a partner
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — a cake
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mate — a friend
  19. season — of the year
  20. roll — a list
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. shower — to wash
  24. hand — in cards

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