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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. bore — to tire
  4. season — in sport
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bore — to drill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. dip — to sink
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. season — of the year
  20. wound — an injury
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. scale — in music
  24. wax — to grow

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