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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. game — wild animals
  3. firm — a company
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. firm — decided
  10. tear — to rip
  11. firm — steady
  12. present — the time now
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tear — from crying
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. present — a gift
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a match
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. wax — for sculpting

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