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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. lean — thin
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. charge — electricity
  5. charge — a price
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. wound — an injury
  10. key — in music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. charge — in control
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. toast — bread
  15. lean — to bend
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. key — the most important part
  24. wound — an injury

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