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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. plane — a tool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wax — to grow
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stand — for spectators

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