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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
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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: racket · temple · wax · calf · band · shower · arm · date

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. wax — to grow
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. shower — rain
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. date — the fruit
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. shower — to wash
  24. temple — a place of worship

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