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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. sharp — clever
  3. craft — boats
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lie — to recline
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. clip — to cut
  19. clip — for paper
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. clip — a video

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