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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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — a permit
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a dance
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. net — in sport
  20. stand — to bear
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. net — after costs
  24. pass — to succeed

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