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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: calf · tube · field · kick · wax · vault · shower · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. tube — a container
  3. wax — to grow
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. shower — to wash
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. field — farmland
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. kick — in football
  15. field — for sport
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. shower — rain
  21. tube — the underground
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. stock — goods
  24. field — a subject

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