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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: fine · spell · object · squash · fall · calf · band · wax

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — high quality
  5. squash — the sport
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. squash — to crush
  9. band — a ring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — to protest
  12. wax — to grow
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. fine — all right
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. object — an aim
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fine — a penalty

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