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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — to be able to
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. can — a tin
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. present — there
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a line of people
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — to grow
  19. present — the time now
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. file — a tool

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