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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 120 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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. object — to protest
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pass — a permit
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. content — happy
  10. object — a thing
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. lean — to bend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. sharp — clever
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. suit — in cards

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