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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. ball — a dance
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kid — child
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. hand — help
  24. root — of a plant

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