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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 · ball · fan · wind · object · rock · last · wake

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — a thing
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. last — finally
  9. wind — moving air
  10. last — final
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rock — music
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wake — a trail
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. object — to protest
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. last — to go on
  24. ball — a dance

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