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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. club — a group
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — obliged
  5. club — for golf
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. wax — to grow
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — the season
  17. bulb — for light
  18. club — for dancing
  19. bound — certain
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bound — tied together
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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