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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. mug — to rob
  4. bulb — for light
  5. capital — money
  6. snap — to click
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bulb — for light
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. capital — a city

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