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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. wax — to grow
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. scale — in music
  24. rash — hasty

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