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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 124 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a cup
  7. roll — a list
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. shower — to wash
  11. wax — to grow
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — a container
  20. mug — a face
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — the underground
  23. chair — to sit on
  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