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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
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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 · prune · object · tube · wax · wind · lash · court

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. tube — the underground
  10. object — to protest
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. tube — a container
  14. object — an aim
  15. wind — moving air
  16. court — of a king
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. court — of law
  22. wind — moving air
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wax — in the ear

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