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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: calf · rash · suit · track · content · temple · wax · mark

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. suit — in cards
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. suit — clothes
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — a trace
  18. rash — hasty
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. suit — to fit
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wax — to grow
  24. calf — of the leg

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