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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: wax · spring · squash · rock · stand · calf · sharp · board

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. rock — a stone
  5. spring — a coil
  6. rock — music
  7. spring — the season
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. wax — to grow
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — to get on
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. squash — to crush
  16. board — a committee
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. stand — to bear
  21. spring — of water
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. wax — in the ear

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