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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: wax · calf · game · dip · cap · hand · hide · pop

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pop — to visit
  9. hand — in cards
  10. cap — a lid
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. pop — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pop — soda
  22. cap — a hat
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hand — help

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