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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · cap · degree · wax · calf · season · rest · ball

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rest — a break
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. degree — temperature
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bore — to drill
  18. season — of the year
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. season — in sport
  23. degree — from a university
  24. ball — a round shape

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