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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kick — in football
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. staff — employees
  10. ground — a position
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. staff — a stick
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — employees
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. branch — a division
  24. bowl — to roll

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