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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.

Make a worksheet

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: straw · wax · net · rush · ruler · court · calf · lash

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. net — after costs
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. court — of a king
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rush — hurry
  11. wax — to grow
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — of law
  16. net — in sport
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. straw — a straw man

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