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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. season — of the year
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bore — to tire
  16. board — to get on
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. saw — the tool
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. saw — the tool
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. dip — to sink

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