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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. present — a gift
  13. spring — the season
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. spring — a coil
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. spring — of water
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. present — the time now

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