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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
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: pop · wave · mug · calf · kid · mine · rash · fan

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. mine — for digging
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mug — a cup
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. pop — music
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. mug — to rob
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rash — hasty
  18. mug — a face
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. rash — a series
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  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