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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: bay · rock · chest · fan · wave · saw · calf · dip

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. saw — the tool
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. chest — a box
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. saw — the tool
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — music
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. rock — a stone
  20. chest — of your body
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — to move gently

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