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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rock — a stone
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — in sport
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. net — after costs
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. kick — in football
  24. calf — a young animal

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