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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ball — a great time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. press — to push
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ball — a dance
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. staff — a stick

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