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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
468
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 · craft · stand · calf · spring · cue · clip · bowl

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. spring — of water
  9. cue — a signal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. clip — to cut
  14. wax — to grow
  15. cue — a hint
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. craft — boats

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