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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — finally
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. wax — to grow
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lean — to bend
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lean — thin
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. last — final
  16. date — the fruit
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. last — to go on
  24. rule — a law

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