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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. root — the cause
  8. snap — to click
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. wax — to grow
  16. band — a music group
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. root — of a word
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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