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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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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: wax · calf · suit · bat · chip · fan · last · cap

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. bat — the animal
  5. last — finally
  6. wax — to grow
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. suit — to fit
  17. last — final
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bat — for baseball

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