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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. spell — letters
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. root — the cause
  7. wax — to grow
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. current — electric
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a word
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. present — there
  15. spell — magic
  16. present — the time now
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. present — a gift
  20. current — happening now
  21. bulb — for light
  22. spell — a short time
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wax — in the ear

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