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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — to grow
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. kid — child
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. dip — to sink
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. kid — to tease
  23. bulb — for light
  24. calf — a young animal

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