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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: perch · wind · wave · kid · calf · lean · cue · date

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. cue — a signal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. date — the fruit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wind — moving air
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — for pool

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