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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: band · wax · can · wake · spell · perch · march · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — music
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. spell — magic
  6. wax — to grow
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. spell — a short time
  9. wake — a trail
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. band — a ring
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. band — a music group
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. perch — the fish
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. march — the month

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