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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 120 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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. capital — a city
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. race — a contest
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — money
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — for light
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bulb — for light
  16. race — humankind
  17. bore — to tire
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. fine — high quality

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