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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. bass — the fish
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. mug — a face
  11. land — to come down
  12. can — to be able to
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — a cup
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. foot — a measure
  23. land — ground
  24. fine — a penalty

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