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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: rush · row · foot · rash · lean · coach · wax · calf

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. lean — to bend
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — to grow
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rush — hurry
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — a series
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — a measure
  22. row — a line
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. foot — the bottom

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