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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — what's left
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. wax — to grow
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. scale — in music
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to drill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. rest — a break

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