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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. rash — a series
  3. rule — government
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. key — for a lock
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rule — a law
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. key — the most important part
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. key — in music
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rash — on the skin

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