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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. ground — crushed
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wound — an injury
  5. ground — a position
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wax — to grow
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. kick — in football
  24. calf — a young animal

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