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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: wax · spell · calf · shower · squash · game · straw · suit

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. spell — letters
  5. squash — to crush
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. spell — magic
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — to grow
  15. suit — to fit
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. shower — to wash
  20. game — a match
  21. suit — in cards
  22. spell — a short time
  23. suit — clothes
  24. calf — of the leg

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