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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.

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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: content · pass · mug · wax · calf · hand · kid · race

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  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. pass — a permit
  2. content — the amount
  3. kid — child
  4. race — humankind
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. race — the arms race
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. mug — to rob
  9. wax — to grow
  10. hand — help
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. race — a contest
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. content — happy
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. kid — to tease
  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