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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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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to confront
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. scale — in music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — music
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pop — to visit

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