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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — the animal
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. firm — a company
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. face — to confront
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — a trail
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. face — to point toward
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. court — of a king
  24. wax — to grow

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