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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mark — a trace
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. wax — to grow
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mine — for digging
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wax — in the ear

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