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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: wake · calf · lean · wax · pitch · temple · content · patient

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. wake — a trail
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. content — happy
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — to grow
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. patient — a sick person

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