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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 surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mine — for digging
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. last — to go on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. last — final

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