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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: wax · game · calf · craft · ground · tube · stem · rash

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. craft — boats
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — hasty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. game — a match
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. tube — a container
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wax — to grow
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. game — a kind of play

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