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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 120 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 · board · pop · cap · foot · wax · dip · lie

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. board — to get on
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — a committee
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. wax — to grow
  11. cap — of ice
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cap — a hat
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. foot — a measure

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