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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pop — music
  3. craft — boats
  4. present — there
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pop — to visit
  9. capital — money
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. present — a gift
  12. chest — of your body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. chest — of your body
  19. craft — a skill
  20. pop — soda
  21. capital — a city
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — the time now
  24. chest — a box

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