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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 120 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
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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 · saw · rule · scale · row · mug · calf · content

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. row — to paddle
  3. saw — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. scale — size or range
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rule — a law
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. rule — government
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. mug — to rob
  14. row — a line
  15. scale — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mug — a cup
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. mug — a face
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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