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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fork — in a road
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — a phone
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitch — completely
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — for sculpting

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