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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: rule · calf · wax · sharp · club · craft · rash · pop

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — hasty
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — clever
  7. craft — boats
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pop — to visit
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rule — a law
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. pop — soda
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. club — for dancing
  23. craft — a skill
  24. pop — music

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