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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.

Make a worksheet

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: tube · calf · foot · temple · track · wax · chair · leaves

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a song
  4. chair — a leader
  5. track — a path
  6. tube — a container
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. foot — a measure
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. calf — a young animal

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