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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bear — the animal
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rule — a law
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. track — a song
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. wax — to grow
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rule — government

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