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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: calf · hand · pop · stand · mouse · wax · pound · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. stand — to bear
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. land — to come down
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. land — a country
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — to visit

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