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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. spring — the season
  3. row — to paddle
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. spring — a coil
  15. field — farmland
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. field — for sport
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — in a race
  22. field — a subject
  23. spring — of water
  24. calf — a young animal

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