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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chair — a leader
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. tear — to rip
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. fall — to drop
  10. club — a group
  11. ball — a dance
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. fall — the season
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — from crying
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a round shape

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