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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: calf · mate · wind · wax · jam · pitcher · cabinet · spring

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. spring — of water
  6. mate — a partner
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. mate — to breed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitcher — a jug

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