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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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wax — to grow
  4. land — a country
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. chip — for betting
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. cell — a phone
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. cell — in biology
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. land — ground
  18. calf — a young 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