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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: calf · season · row · wave · firm · game · leaves · tube

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. tube — a container
  3. firm — decided
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. tube — the underground
  8. row — a line
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. season — in sport
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — steady
  23. game — a match
  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