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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. present — the time now
  3. tear — from crying
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. tear — from crying
  10. present — there
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. chest — of your body
  14. present — a gift
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wake — a trail
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — a safe

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