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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.

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: chip · lean · wax · stand · snap · rash · drill · calf

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. drill — army training
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. drill — a practice
  16. chip — to eat
  17. snap — to click
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — a series
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. chip — for betting

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