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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. saw — the tool
  5. lean — thin
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. wax — to grow
  8. foot — a measure
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. content — happy
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. saw — the tool
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. content — the amount

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