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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. face — to point toward
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. charge — electricity
  7. season — of the year
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. land — to come down
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. charge — a price
  19. face — to confront
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — a country
  22. charge — in control
  23. face — part of the head
  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