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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — for a lock
  17. suit — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bound — certain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. key — the most important part
  22. key — in music
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fan — to cool the air

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