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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
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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: wax · stem · squash · straw · calf · track · spring · object

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. object — a thing
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. object — an aim
  7. spring — of water
  8. track — a path
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. stem — to come from
  13. spring — the season
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. squash — the sport
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wax — to grow
  20. squash — to crush
  21. object — to protest
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. track — a song
  24. spring — a coil

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