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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. wax — to grow
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mate — a partner
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. mate — to breed
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. march — the month
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. march — music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. wax — in the ear

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