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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
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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: calf · land · cue · toast · spell · rash · wax · jam

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. cue — a hint
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. spell — letters
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. land — to come down
  14. rash — a series
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. toast — bread
  18. land — ground
  19. spell — a short time
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. cue — a signal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. land — a country
  24. rash — hasty

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