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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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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: nail · wax · rush · jam · calf · rest · trunk · fine

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wax — to grow
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fine — all right
  10. rest — a break
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. rest — what's left
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. trunk — 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