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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. scale — in music
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — music
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bulb — for light
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. scale — size or range
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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