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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: last · vault · cap · calf · kick · wax · track · hide

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. track — a song
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. track — to keep track
  8. vault — a safe
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. cap — a lid
  16. last — finally
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. track — a path
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — of ice

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