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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. season — of the year
  8. ball — a great time
  9. wax — to grow
  10. shower — rain
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. shower — to wash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. season — in sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. cabinet — ministers

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