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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — in sport
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. mate — a partner
  8. snap — to click
  9. can — to be able to
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. season — of the year
  12. wax — to grow
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mate — a friend
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — a safe
  19. mate — to breed
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — a tin

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