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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bear — the animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. sharp — clever
  22. object — a thing
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. patient — a sick person

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