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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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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: patient · cap · ground · foot · rest · wax · kid · calf

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rest — a break
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a hat
  14. kid — to tease
  15. foot — a measure
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — crushed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — of ice
  22. kid — child
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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