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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 · mine · fork · bound · pitcher · rash · object · wax

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. bound — certain
  9. wax — to grow
  10. object — a thing
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bound — tied together
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rash — a series
  20. mine — for digging
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. rash — hasty
  24. calf — of the leg

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