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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: cue · wave · calf · mouse · bay · straw · arm · root

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. root — of a word
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. root — the cause
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. arm — a part of something

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