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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 · wax · mark · dip · calf · arm · race · bore

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. race — a contest
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mark — a grade
  6. wax — to grow
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bore — to tire
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. race — humankind
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. content — the amount
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. dip — to sink
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — to dunk

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