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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. land — a country
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — to grow
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. charge — a price
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stand — to bear
  13. cell — in biology
  14. land — to come down
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. charge — in control
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. land — ground
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. charge — electricity
  23. cell — a phone
  24. ground — a position

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