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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 116 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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. object — an aim
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. clip — for paper
  10. field — a subject
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. object — to protest
  14. lean — thin
  15. lean — to bend
  16. field — for sport
  17. craft — a skill
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. field — farmland
  23. clip — to cut
  24. craft — boats

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