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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — in control
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pound — a weight
  7. object — a thing
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hand — help
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. charge — electricity
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. object — an aim
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — to grow
  24. charge — a price

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