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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. suit — to fit
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. club — a group
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. date — the fruit
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — to grow
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. club — for golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. suit — clothes
  18. content — the amount
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. club — for dancing

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