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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. dip — to sink
  15. wax — to grow
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. track — a song
  18. present — there
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — the season
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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