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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: wind · game · deal · object · lash · calf · wax · degree

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. object — a thing
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — to handle
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wax — to grow
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. object — to protest
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. object — an aim
  24. wind — moving air

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