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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: wave · calf · plane · rule · spring · sharp · fork · ball

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — a tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. fork — in a road
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. spring — the season
  14. rule — government
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spring — of water
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. sharp — clever

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