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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: can · arm · calf · pop · rush · perch · drill · wax

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. drill — the tool
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. can — to be able to
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. drill — army training
  12. wax — to grow
  13. can — a tin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pop — soda
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. drill — a practice
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pop — music
  21. can — a tin
  22. perch — the fish
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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