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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. cell — a phone
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pass — a permit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. cell — in biology
  11. can — a tin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. bear — the animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. can — a tin
  20. wax — to grow
  21. land — ground
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. land — to come down

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