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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spring — of water
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spring — the season
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kid — to tease
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. spring — a coil
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — an aircraft

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