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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: key · calf · cold · wax · lash · fan · plane · capital

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. key — in music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. cold — not warm
  13. key — the most important part
  14. wax — to grow
  15. capital — money
  16. key — for a lock
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. cold — an illness
  24. capital — a big letter

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