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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 116 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: calf · fan · trunk · wave · bat · cap · bulb · rest

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. cap — of ice
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rest — what's left
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rest — what's left
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. cap — a hat

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