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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mark — a trace
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — to get on
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wound — an injury
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rest — what's left

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