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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. squash — to crush
  7. race — the arms race
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. perch — the fish
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — there
  12. wax — to grow
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. race — humankind
  16. present — the time now
  17. last — to go on
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — the sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. last — final
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. present — a gift
  24. last — finally

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