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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. plane — a tool
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. lie — to recline
  9. object — to protest
  10. present — there
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. object — a thing
  13. bass — the fish
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — low music
  16. present — the time now
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wound — an injury
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. object — an aim
  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