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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. suit — in cards
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. branch — a division
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. suit — clothes
  17. saw — the tool
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. wax — to grow
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. suit — to fit

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