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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: wax · bark · rock · staff · saw · calf · shower · lean

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lean — thin
  10. rock — music
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. staff — a stick
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. staff — employees
  16. saw — the tool
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — to shout
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. shower — rain
  24. staff — employees

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