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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — to grow
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. trunk — of a tree

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