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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 120 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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. rest — a break
  5. land — to come down
  6. bank — for money
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. suit — in cards
  10. club — for golf
  11. suit — to fit
  12. wax — to grow
  13. suit — clothes
  14. club — a group
  15. ground — the earth
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — a position
  19. club — for dancing
  20. land — a country
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bank — of a river
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rest — what's left

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