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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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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 · kid · wave · present · mouse · row · coach · bowl

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. present — the time now
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. present — there
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. row — to paddle
  22. present — a gift
  23. mouse — the animal
  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