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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 120 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: club · calf · rule · bat · rash · lie · staff · wax

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. rule — government
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rule — a law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — employees
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. wax — to grow
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — the animal
  21. club — for golf
  22. rash — a series
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bat — for baseball

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