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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. club — a group
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. object — a thing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. march — music
  8. mate — a friend
  9. march — the month
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. object — to protest
  13. pass — a permit
  14. ball — a dance
  15. object — an aim
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — a partner
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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