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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: straw · pitcher · mug · calf · wax · pitch · stem · face

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pitch — completely
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stem — to come from
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mug — to rob
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. face — to confront
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. mug — a cup
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — a young animal

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