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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — newspapers
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. cap — a lid
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. capital — a city
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. squash — the sport
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. press — to push
  15. wax — to grow
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. squash — to crush
  19. capital — money
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. press — a publisher
  22. stem — to come from
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a hat

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