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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: lean · wound · wax · calf · pop · deal · bay · bound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. pop — music
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lean — thin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bound — tied together
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — soda
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. pop — to visit
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wound — an injury
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bound — certain
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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