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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. suit — in cards
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. squash — to crush
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. suit — clothes
  12. ball — a great time
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. squash — the sport
  15. suit — to fit
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. squash — the vegetable

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