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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. root — the cause
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wax — to grow
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. capital — money
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. root — of a word
  15. capital — a city
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. root — of a plant
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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