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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. board — to get on
  6. march — the month
  7. wax — to grow
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. march — music
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wind — moving air
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. board — a committee
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. march — the month

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