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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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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: wax · roll · bass · kid · mate · bat · stand · calf

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. kid — child
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. roll — a list
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. kid — to tease
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stand — to bear
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. bat — the animal
  20. mate — to breed
  21. bass — low music
  22. wax — to grow
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. roll — a cake

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