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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. root — of a word
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. root — the cause
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. current — of water
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. root — of a plant
  15. track — a path
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. track — a song
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. current — electric
  23. fine — all right
  24. current — happening now

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