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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: calf · wake · nail · hide · pop · content · chest · cap

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cap — of ice
  5. chest — a box
  6. chest — of your body
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. content — happy
  10. content — the amount
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pop — to visit
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. chest — of your body
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — on a finger

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