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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — for digging
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. board — to get on
  12. tear — from crying
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tear — to rip
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. tear — from crying
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. rush — hurry
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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