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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: root · pit · band · calf · pitcher · kid · arm · wax

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pit — a hole
  3. kid — to tease
  4. wax — to grow
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — of a word
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. band — a music group
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. root — of a plant
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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