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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: degree · craft · wax · lash · bound · calf · wake · pitcher

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. degree — from a university
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. degree — an amount
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — a trail
  21. craft — boats
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. craft — a skill

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