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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.

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: wake · kick · rash · cap · calf · racket · wax · bound

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — in football
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. bound — certain
  12. cap — a hat
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rash — a series
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — tied together
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. wax — for sculpting

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