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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: calf · saw · mine · bear · can · rule · wake · wax

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. can — to be able to
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rule — a law
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. saw — the tool
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — the tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. mine — for digging
  24. wake — a trail

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