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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.

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: calf · stock · mark · ball · wind · wave · mine · rash

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. rash — a series
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. rash — hasty
  14. stock — shares
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wind — moving air
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. wind — moving air
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — a grade
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. wave — with your hand

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