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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: sharp · wave · lie · root · row · safe · bear · calf

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bear — the animal
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. sharp — clever
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. bear — the animal
  12. row — a line
  13. root — the cause
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. root — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lie — to recline
  24. row — to paddle

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