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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — a tin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. object — a thing
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rash — hasty
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. pound — a weight
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. can — to be able to
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. rash — a series
  23. can — a tin
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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