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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: patient · calf · wax · hide · lean · pop · clip · content

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pop — soda
  5. clip — for paper
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lean — thin
  9. clip — a video
  10. pop — music
  11. content — the amount
  12. clip — to cut
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to bend
  18. content — happy
  19. pop — to visit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

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