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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bulb — for light
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. date — the fruit
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — for sculpting

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