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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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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: rest · content · kid · pass · calf · wax · kick · track

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. track — a path
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. content — happy
  13. content — the amount
  14. kick — in football
  15. track — to keep track
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kid — child
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  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