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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to click
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. object — an aim
  8. net — after costs
  9. object — a thing
  10. net — for catching
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. pound — a weight
  16. net — in sport
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. object — to protest
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. march — music
  24. perch — for a bird

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