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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: calf · firm · last · wave · cap · bay · content · arm

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. content — the amount
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. firm — decided
  11. content — happy
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. firm — a company
  17. cap — a lid
  18. last — final
  19. firm — steady
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — a young animal

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