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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. object — a thing
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a line
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fine — high quality
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. object — an aim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wax — to grow
  16. sharp — clever
  17. spring — a coil
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — all right
  21. row — to paddle
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. object — to protest
  24. spring — of water

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