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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 116 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 · ground · rush · cap · wax · bound · bowl · file

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. bound — tied together
  4. file — a tool
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. file — a document
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — of ice
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — a position
  18. cap — a lid
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. ground — the earth
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. wax — in the ear

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