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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. firm — a company
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — in cards
  5. suit — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. scale — in music
  10. suit — clothes
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — steady
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. firm — decided
  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