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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: object · season · rock · kick · wave · calf · straw · saw

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — a thing
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. saw — the tool
  10. season — of the year
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. rock — music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. season — in sport
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. kick — with a leg

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