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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: land · band · wave · mark · rock · mine · calf · wax

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. land — to come down
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. land — a country
  15. land — ground
  16. band — a music group
  17. rock — music
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mark — a grade
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. band — a ring

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