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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 116 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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. fall — the season
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. can — to be able to
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fall — to drop
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fall — to drop
  11. rush — hurry
  12. degree — an amount
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. degree — from a university
  15. can — a tin
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. degree — temperature
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. cap — of ice
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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