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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: suit · wax · straw · toast · fine · rash · file · calf

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — in cards
  7. fine — all right
  8. file — a tool
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. fine — high quality
  11. file — a line of people
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rash — hasty
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rash — a series
  22. toast — bread
  23. suit — to fit
  24. file — a document

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