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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 120 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wax — to grow
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. firm — steady
  15. bulb — for light
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. firm — a company
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. firm — decided
  24. rock — a stone

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