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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 120 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: object · bear · wax · game · temple · bark · calf · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. object — a thing
  4. wax — to grow
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. object — to protest
  15. game — a match
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bear — the animal
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. object — an aim
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — wild animals

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