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

Word bank: calf · kid · wind · craft · drill · wax · charge · wave

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. charge — in control
  5. wind — moving air
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. charge — electricity
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. craft — boats
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. charge — a price
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — a skill
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. kid — child

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