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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — a contest
  3. net — after costs
  4. wax — to grow
  5. charge — in control
  6. drill — army training
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. present — the time now
  9. race — humankind
  10. charge — electricity
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — in sport
  13. drill — the tool
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. net — for catching
  19. charge — a price
  20. present — there
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. present — a gift
  24. race — the arms race

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