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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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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: squash · leaves · calf · date · face · bound · wax · mark

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. squash — the sport
  9. mark — a trace
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. bound — obliged
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. squash — to crush
  17. face — part of the head
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bound — tied together
  20. mark — a grade
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. date — the fruit
  23. face — to point toward
  24. bound — certain

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