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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: racket · pop · saw · lie · calf · wax · current · land

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. pop — music
  10. saw — the tool
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — to recline
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pop — soda
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. land — ground
  22. pop — to visit
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. land — a country

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