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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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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 · mine · club · kid · rest · chip · leaves

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. chip — to eat
  9. club — for golf
  10. mine — for digging
  11. chip — for betting
  12. rest — a break
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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