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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: wax · fall · roll · content · pitcher · squash · calf · rash

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. squash — the sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. content — the amount
  6. content — happy
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fall — to drop
  15. roll — a list
  16. fall — to drop
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rash — a series
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wax — to grow
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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