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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: staff · date · tear · wax · cap · kick · calf · stand

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. tear — to rip
  7. staff — a stick
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. tear — from crying
  10. kick — in football
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. wax — to grow
  13. date — the fruit
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. cap — a lid
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — of ice
  24. cap — a hat

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