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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: spell · firm · wax · pitch · calf · last · craft · patient

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. spell — letters
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. firm — a company
  6. last — final
  7. craft — a skill
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. firm — steady
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. last — finally
  15. pitch — completely
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. spell — a short time
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. last — to go on

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