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

Word bank: race · staff · cap · kick · bank · wax

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bank — for money
  4. race — humankind
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. kick — in football
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — a contest
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bank — of a river
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. staff — employees
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — of ice
  18. kick — with a leg

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