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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — a tin
  3. snap — to click
  4. mug — to rob
  5. scale — in music
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. mug — a face
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. scale — size or range
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. can — to be able to

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