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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — a stone
  7. spring — of water
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. wax — to grow
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. spring — the season
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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