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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: lash · calf · wave · rest · wax · craft · court · hand

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. hand — help
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. court — of a king
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — for sport
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. craft — boats
  24. wave — of the sea

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