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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.

Words on the sheet
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 · foot · kid · wax · spring · squash · current · stem

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. spring — a coil
  4. squash — to crush
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. kid — child
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. wax — to grow
  14. kid — to tease
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — a measure
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. current — happening now
  22. spring — of water
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spring — the season

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