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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — in music
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — for a lock
  8. pit — in a race
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bear — the animal
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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