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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — for catching
  5. tube — a container
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. tube — the underground
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — to protest
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lie — to recline
  22. shower — rain
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. object — an aim

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