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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wax · calf · can · cabinet · spring · degree · deal · wind

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. degree — temperature
  4. spring — of water
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. degree — from a university
  8. deal — to handle
  9. degree — an amount
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. spring — the season
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. spring — a coil
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — a tin

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