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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. cell — a phone
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. current — of water
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. current — happening now
  14. wax — to grow
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. current — electric
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pound — a weight
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bark — to shout
  24. wound — an injury

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