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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: bulb · calf · squash · kid · roll · wave · face · fine

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. kid — to tease
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. roll — a cake
  6. fine — all right
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. face — to confront
  11. face — part of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. kid — child
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fine — high quality
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. face — to point toward
  18. roll — a list
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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