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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: jam · wind · face · temple · scale · calf · wax · firm

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. wind — moving air
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. scale — size or range
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. face — part of the head
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. face — to point toward
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. firm — decided
  19. face — to confront
  20. firm — steady
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. firm — a company

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