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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 120 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. spell — letters
  3. perch — the fish
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. spell — a short time
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rule — government
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. kick — in football
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rule — a law
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. fall — the season
  22. spell — magic
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. wax — to grow

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