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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 120 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. present — a gift
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wind — moving air
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. present — there
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. charge — in control
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. bark — to shout
  22. charge — a price
  23. wax — to grow
  24. temple — a place of worship

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