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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. current — electric
  8. net — in sport
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — for catching
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bore — to drill
  15. current — of water
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. net — after costs
  19. craft — boats
  20. current — happening now
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. arm — a part of something

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