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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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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 · rest · wake · cold · cap · pound · bank · pass

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. pass — a permit
  3. bank — for money
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — what's left
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bank — of a river
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. pound — to hit hard

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