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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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468
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 · wax · stem · key · hand · snap · cue · rock

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wax — to grow
  6. snap — to click
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. key — the most important part
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. rock — a stone
  17. cue — a hint
  18. key — for a lock
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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