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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: calf · snap · rush · bound · bore · wake · cap · tear

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  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 — a hat
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wake — a trail
  8. snap — to click
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a lid
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. tear — to rip
  23. rush — to hurry
  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