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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. present — a gift
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. rest — a break
  7. present — there
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rest — what's left
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rest — what's left
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. capital — money
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. present — the time now
  20. deal — to handle
  21. capital — a city
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. bore — to drill

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