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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.

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: spring · wax · cell · can · mate · calf · pit · current

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. mate — a partner
  3. current — electric
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. spring — the season
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mate — a friend
  10. spring — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — of water
  15. spring — a coil
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. can — to be able to
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. can — a tin
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pit — in a race
  24. calf — a young animal

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