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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — hurry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. snap — to click
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — the earth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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