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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 116 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: ball · calf · wax · rash · deal · bass · bay · bat

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. rash — hasty
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ball — a dance
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bass — low music
  20. bat — the animal
  21. rash — a series
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. ball — a round shape

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