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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: mark · shower · row · cap · prune · last · calf · wax

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. shower — rain
  4. wax — to grow
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mark — a grade
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — finally
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. prune — to trim
  12. cap — a hat
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a line
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. shower — to wash
  24. last — final

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