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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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wax — to grow
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. drill — army training
  14. track — a song
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. board — to get on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. track — a path
  21. drill — the tool
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bowl — to roll

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