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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: arm · bass · bat · stick · wax · calf · spring · drill

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. spring — the season
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. spring — of water
  8. spring — a coil
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — low music
  12. drill — army training
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — to grow
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. drill — the tool
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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