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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 · wax · temple · staff · bass · lash · bay · file

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — low music
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. staff — a stick
  13. file — a document
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. staff — employees
  16. file — a tool
  17. staff — employees
  18. file — a line of people
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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