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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — a short time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — in football
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. capital — money
  11. cue — for pool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — magic
  19. capital — a city
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. cue — a signal
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. fine — a penalty

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