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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: kick · mark · mouse · wax · spell · calf · cell · perch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. perch — the fish
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. cell — in biology

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