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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rule — government
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pitch — completely
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — to come from
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rule — a law
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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