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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · wax · can · current · content · chair · staff

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. content — the amount
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — to be able to
  7. current — electric
  8. current — happening now
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. content — happy
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. staff — a stick
  18. chair — a leader
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wind — moving air

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