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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: fan · calf · perch · race · bound · wave · chair · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — the arms race
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. perch — the fish
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. race — humankind
  17. chair — a leader
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — certain
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. race — a contest
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. calf — a young animal

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