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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. net — in sport
  3. present — there
  4. hand — help
  5. net — for catching
  6. mate — a friend
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hand — in cards
  10. net — after costs
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. drill — a practice

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