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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. charge — in control
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. face — to confront
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — part of the head
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — of water
  10. face — to point toward
  11. ground — crushed
  12. current — electric
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. charge — electricity
  15. charge — a price
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mate — a friend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. current — happening now
  20. mate — a partner
  21. ground — a position
  22. game — a match
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — wild animals

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