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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rush — hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. club — for dancing
  10. object — to protest
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. club — a group
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — for golf
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. craft — boats
  22. object — a thing
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. object — an aim

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