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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. band — a music group
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. spring — of water
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. band — a ring
  16. firm — a company
  17. cell — in biology
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spring — the season
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spring — a coil

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