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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hand — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — help
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. root — of a word
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wax — to grow
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. pass — a permit
  17. stock — shares
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. rest — a break
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pass — to succeed

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