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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: wax · vault · arm · patient · dip · calf · bark · land

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. land — ground
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. land — a country
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. bark — to shout
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. arm — a part of something

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