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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.

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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: wax · cell · lash · fine · band · pound · calf · bay

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. band — a ring
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. fine — all right
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fine — high quality
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cell — in biology
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. wax — to grow
  23. band — a music group
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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