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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. lean — to bend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lean — thin
  10. charge — electricity
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. chair — a leader
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. charge — in control
  24. calf — a young animal

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