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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 · row · mine · field · mate · calf · lean · kick

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to bend
  6. field — a subject
  7. mate — a friend
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. field — for sport
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. row — a line
  13. field — farmland
  14. kick — in football
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — for digging
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lean — thin
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mate — a partner
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. calf — a young animal

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