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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: fall · mark · wax · roll · bowl · rest · calf · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rest — what's left
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rest — a break
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. spell — letters
  12. fall — the season
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. roll — a cake
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. fall — to drop
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mark — a grade
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — magic
  24. fall — to drop

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