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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. can — to be able to
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spring — a coil
  12. can — a tin
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cue — for pool
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. spring — of water
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spring — the season

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