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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: pound · bear · wave · calf · roll · stand · hand · spring

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. spring — a coil
  9. hand — help
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — of water
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. roll — a list
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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