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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. land — ground
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. club — a group
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. land — a country
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — to hurry

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