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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — not warm
  5. object — a thing
  6. cold — an illness
  7. mark — a grade
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — in music
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. object — an aim
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bank — for money
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bank — for money
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — for a lock
  21. wax — to grow
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. calf — of the leg

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