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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mate — a friend
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. drill — army training
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stand — to bear
  24. stand — on your feet

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