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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. staff — employees
  3. track — a path
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. track — to keep track
  8. ground — crushed
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — a position
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. date — the fruit
  21. object — a thing
  22. object — an aim
  23. track — a song
  24. mouse — the 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