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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. current — of water
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wax — to grow
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. march — the month
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. hand — help
  16. current — electric
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — to recline
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. hand — in cards
  24. calf — a young animal

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