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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. club — for dancing
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. rest — a break
  10. club — for golf
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fall — the season
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — to grow
  23. cap — of ice
  24. saw — the tool

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