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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kid — child
  16. mug — a face
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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