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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. can — to be able to
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bore — to tire
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. game — a match
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bore — gave birth

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