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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 120 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: calf · track · court · wax · mate · shower · bank · rash

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. track — to keep track
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. track — a path
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. mate — a friend
  13. bank — of a river
  14. shower — rain
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a song
  18. mate — a partner
  19. rash — a series
  20. wax — to grow
  21. court — for sport
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bank — for money
  24. shower — to wash

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