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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: rash · calf · wax · swing · fall · cabinet · land · bound

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rash — hasty
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — obliged
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bound — tied together
  8. fall — the season
  9. bound — certain
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — a country
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. land — ground
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — to drop
  24. land — to come down

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