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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 120 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: file · calf · cap · cold · wax · rest · mark · pitch

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. mark — a grade
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. cold — not warm
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a document
  23. cap — a hat
  24. mark — to pay attention

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