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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 120 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: ground · ruler · wax · rash · mouse · calf · snap · wound

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. rash — a series
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. ground — the earth
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. snap — to click
  24. ground — a position

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