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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: wax · last · spring · stick · date · bear · calf · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wax — to grow
  4. rest — a break
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. last — to go on
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spring — a coil
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. last — finally
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. spring — the season
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spring — of water
  24. last — final

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