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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: wax · bear · foot · cabinet · nail · calf · pitcher · scale

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bear — the animal
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. scale — in music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. scale — size or range
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bear — the animal

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