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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: kid · leaves · fall · coach · calf · temple · trunk · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. fall — the season
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. kid — child
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fall — to drop
  21. kid — to tease
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. leaves — of a tree

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