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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 116 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: mark · calf · wax · staff · row · bat · patient · shower

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. bat — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. staff — employees
  6. wax — to grow
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — a grade
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. staff — a stick
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. staff — employees
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. row — a line
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. shower — rain
  24. shower — to wash

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