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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mate — to breed
  4. current — electric
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mate — a partner
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. chair — a leader
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. deal — to handle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — a young animal

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