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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. face — to confront
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. face — to point toward
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. degree — from a university
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. degree — an amount
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. snap — to click
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. foot — part of the body
  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