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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wax — to grow
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. file — a line of people
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pound — a weight
  17. file — a document
  18. date — the fruit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. file — a tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wax — for sculpting

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