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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. suit — clothes
  9. band — a ring
  10. branch — a division
  11. band — a music group
  12. suit — to fit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. ball — a great time
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. trunk — of a tree

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