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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: mate · cabinet · fan · game · bound · calf · pitcher · wave

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. mate — a partner
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. game — a match
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a friend
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. mate — to breed
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. calf — of the leg

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