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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. wax — to grow
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. date — the fruit
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. calf — of the leg

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