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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — a company
  3. spell — letters
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — hasty
  7. firm — decided
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. spell — magic
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. wax — to grow
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pound — a weight
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rash — a series
  20. firm — steady
  21. suit — clothes
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wax — for sculpting

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