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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fine — all right
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — to breed
  8. wax — to grow
  9. fine — high quality
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. chest — a box
  15. press — to push
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chest — of your body
  18. press — a publisher
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kick — a thrill

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