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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bass — low music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fall — to drop
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. branch — a division
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. rest — a break
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fall — the season
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. bass — the fish
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. branch — of a bank

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