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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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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: band · cell · mate · wax · temple · calf · stick · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — to breed
  11. band — a ring
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. cell — in biology
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. band — a music group
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cell — a phone
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. pit — in a race

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