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

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — to grow
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a dance
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. sharp — clever
  15. ball — a great time
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wax — for sculpting

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