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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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rest — a break
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. degree — from a university
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. date — the fruit
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — an amount
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rest — what's left
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. rule — a law
  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