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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 120 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: kick · foot · wax · object · capital · lean · calf · straw

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. capital — money
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. lean — thin
  8. kick — in football
  9. object — a thing
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. lean — to bend
  14. object — an aim
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. capital — a city
  18. wax — to grow
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. object — to protest

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