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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. tear — from crying
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. field — a subject
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. capital — a city
  14. field — for sport
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. capital — money
  23. field — farmland
  24. bowl — a dish

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