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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. board — to get on
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. rock — music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — to grow
  13. scale — size or range
  14. deal — to handle
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. staff — employees

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