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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: calf · band · bat · wave · leaves · fork · tube · present

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. present — a gift
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bat — the animal
  24. band — a music group

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