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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: rock · hand · can · calf · wax · degree · file · bulb

  1. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — temperature
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. hand — help
  4. degree — from a university
  5. hand — in cards
  6. file — a line of people
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. file — a tool
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rock — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. degree — an amount
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — a tin
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — a stone
  24. hand — part of the body

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