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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. sharp — clever
  3. rush — hurry
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. present — the time now
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wax — to grow
  12. present — a gift
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. present — there
  24. rush — a thrill

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