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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cell — a phone
  3. scale — size or range
  4. tube — a container
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. scale — in music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. rock — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cell — in biology
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rock — a stone
  24. tube — in a tire

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