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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 116 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: race · wax · leaves · coach · object · game · calf · ground

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — to protest
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — a thing
  12. game — wild animals
  13. race — humankind
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — the earth
  16. game — a match
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — the arms race
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — of a tree

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