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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: saw · spell · wave · tube · calf · object · bay · wind

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. object — to protest
  7. spell — a short time
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — an aim
  15. object — a thing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. tube — a container
  24. wind — moving air

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