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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · wave · chair · rush · press · racket · wax · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. press — to push
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. date — the fruit
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. press — newspapers
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rush — hurry
  13. chair — a leader
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wax — to grow
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. press — a publisher
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. date — on the calendar

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