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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. cold — not warm
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ball — a dance
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bound — certain
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. present — the time now
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. present — a gift
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. season — of the year
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. season — in sport
  24. present — there

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