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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 116 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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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 · rush · pass · calf · pitch · dip

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. 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. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pitch — completely
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. 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