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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wax · bear · calf · ground · kid · land · wound · press

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — child
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — to push
  5. ground — crushed
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. press — newspapers
  11. land — ground
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. ground — the earth
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ground — a position
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — to grow
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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