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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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 — a young animal
  2. field — a subject
  3. firm — a company
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — letters
  7. field — farmland
  8. wax — to grow
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. saw — the tool
  11. field — for sport
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. firm — steady
  16. chair — a leader
  17. spell — magic
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. board — a committee
  21. firm — decided
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. spell — a short time
  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