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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pop · calf · stick · capital · rush · fall · temple · wax

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. rush — hurry
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. capital — a city
  5. pop — music
  6. fall — the season
  7. capital — money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — soda
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wax — for sculpting

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