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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. craft — a skill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. spring — a coil
  15. wake — a trail
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. craft — boats
  20. fall — to drop
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. object — to protest
  24. spring — the season

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