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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. ball — a great time
  7. perch — the fish
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. wax — to grow
  11. land — ground
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. land — to come down
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. vault — a safe
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. bore — to drill

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