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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 116 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. capital — money
  4. club — for dancing
  5. deal — to handle
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. capital — a city
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. suit — in cards
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pit — in a race
  19. club — a group
  20. rash — hasty
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. suit — to fit
  23. club — for golf
  24. suit — clothes

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