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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. fine — high quality
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. swing — to play on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. wax — to grow
  22. fine — all right
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. swing — in golf

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