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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: straw · chip · mouse · wave · calf · roll · rule · bear

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — the animal

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