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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: cap · patient · pit · clip · calf · craft · wax · leaves

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pit — a hole
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. cap — of ice
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. craft — boats
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. clip — a video
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — a hat
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. clip — to cut
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — for paper

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