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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ball — a dance
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. present — there
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. deal — to handle
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ball — a great time
  19. present — the time now
  20. branch — a division
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. present — a gift
  24. calf — a young animal

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