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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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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: deal · rest · calf · bay · kick · shower · board · wax

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. shower — rain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rest — a break
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. board — a committee
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wax — in the ear

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