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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: drill · land · wax · calf · fall · prune · spring · rock

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — a coil
  11. drill — a practice
  12. spring — of water
  13. land — a country
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. land — ground
  17. spring — the season
  18. rock — a stone
  19. land — to come down
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. prune — to trim
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. prune — the fruit

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