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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: plane · spell · wax · calf · bay · mug · kid · race

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. race — the arms race
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. race — a contest
  7. spell — letters
  8. wax — to grow
  9. plane — a tool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — a short time
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. mug — to rob
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. race — humankind
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. kid — child
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — magic
  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