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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — completely
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — clothes
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. suit — to fit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. suit — in cards
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — in golf
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. swing — to play on

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