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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 116 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. pass — to succeed
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fall — the season
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — a country
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. land — ground
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. fall — to drop
  20. land — to come down
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pass — a permit
  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