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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stem — to come from
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. club — for golf
  14. board — to get on
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — to grow
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a committee
  24. club — a group

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