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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pop — to visit
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. roll — a list
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — to grow

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