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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: calf · jam · cell · lash · wax · rest · patient · fan

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — a break
  6. cell — a phone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rest — what's left
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. cell — in biology
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cell — in a prison

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