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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · wind · land · ruler · season · bass · mug · calf

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. season — in sport
  3. mug — a cup
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mug — to rob
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. land — ground
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — of the year
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. land — a country
  19. bass — low music
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bass — the fish
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. land — to come down
  24. mug — a face

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