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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — to paddle
  6. spring — a coil
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — letters
  13. spring — of water
  14. cue — for pool
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cue — a signal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cue — a hint
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — of the leg

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