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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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. season — in sport
  3. wax — to grow
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. season — of the year
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. press — newspapers
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. press — to push
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wave — of the sea

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