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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wax · row · bass · stem · calf · key · bore · mark

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bass — low music
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bore — to tire
  16. key — in music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. row — a line
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bore — to drill
  24. row — a quarrel

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