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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. face — to point toward
  4. wax — to grow
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. face — part of the head
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wound — an injury
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wound — an injury
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. pound — a weight
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. face — to confront

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