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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a committee
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. last — final
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pop — music
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — to protest
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. board — to get on
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. object — an aim
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. last — to go on
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. last — finally
  24. wax — for sculpting

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