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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
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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: key · calf · cold · object · wax · mouse · last · bear

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cold — an illness
  10. key — in music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. object — an aim
  13. key — for a lock
  14. last — to go on
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. object — a thing
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. wax — to grow
  21. object — to protest
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bear — the animal

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