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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: pop · bass · wave · tear · calf · cap · nail · content

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. content — the amount
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tear — from crying
  7. cap — of ice
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. tear — to rip
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. cap — a lid
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pop — to visit
  18. bass — low music
  19. content — happy
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wave — with your hand

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