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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. rash — a series
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rule — government
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bat — the animal
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — hasty
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. root — of a word
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. mine — for digging
  19. craft — boats
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rule — a law
  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