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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: pop · game · wax · hand · temple · calf · rush · track

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hand — help
  6. track — a path
  7. pop — to visit
  8. game — a match
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pop — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. track — a song
  18. game — wild animals
  19. pop — soda
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. wax — to grow
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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