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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. deal — to handle
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. current — happening now
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. swing — in golf
  7. face — part of the head
  8. current — of water
  9. net — after costs
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. face — to point toward
  12. net — in sport
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — electric
  23. face — to confront
  24. calf — of the leg

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