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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: calf · chest · wax · bound · rash · wake · plane · ground

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bound — obliged
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — a series
  9. chest — of your body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chest — a box
  13. ground — crushed
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bound — certain
  23. chest — of your body
  24. ground — a position

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