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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: pitcher · calf · bay · race · object · wax · patient · cabinet

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. wax — for sculpting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. object — to protest
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. race — humankind
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. object — a thing
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — a contest
  21. object — an aim
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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