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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fine — high quality
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fine — all right
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. wax — to grow
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. net — after costs
  24. wax — for sculpting

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