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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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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: wax · net · rash · degree · calf · rock · leaves · mine

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rock — a stone
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. degree — an amount
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. degree — from a university
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rock — music
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rash — a series
  24. net — after costs

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