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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: key · game · pop · calf · tube · season · wave · arm

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. pop — to visit
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. pop — music
  7. game — wild animals
  8. key — the most important part
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. key — in music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. game — a match
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. season — in sport
  21. pop — soda
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. tube — in a tire

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