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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — of ice
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cap — a lid
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wax — to grow
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cap — a hat
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. fine — all right
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. saw — the tool
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — high quality

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