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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — boats
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — to grow
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. season — of the year
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spell — magic
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bore — to drill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. craft — a skill
  24. season — in sport

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