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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. plane — a tool
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wax — to grow
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. cue — for pool
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. leaves — of a tree

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