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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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. wake — a trail
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stem — to come from
  14. wax — to grow
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. can — to be able to
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ball — a great time

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