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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: band · spring · stand · wind · calf · cue · wax · rush

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cue — for pool
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. spring — the season
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. band — a music group
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. cue — a signal
  17. band — a ring
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rush — hurry
  21. stand — to bear
  22. cue — a hint
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. spring — of water

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