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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: fall · wave · rock · chair · calf · key · can · mark

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. key — the most important part
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. chair — a leader
  5. can — to be able to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — the season
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. mark — a grade
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. key — in music
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — music
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — to drop

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