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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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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: foot · calf · rock · wax · degree · shower · cue · file

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. cue — a hint
  3. file — a document
  4. rock — a stone
  5. shower — rain
  6. wax — to grow
  7. degree — an amount
  8. degree — temperature
  9. rock — music
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. file — a line of people
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. cue — a signal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — a measure
  23. file — a tool
  24. degree — from a university

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