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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: leaves · calf · staff · stick · fork · drill · wax · kid

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fork — in a road
  5. kid — child
  6. drill — army training
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. staff — a stick
  11. drill — the tool
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. wax — to grow
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — a practice
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. kid — to tease
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. fork — to eat with

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