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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — to tease
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. suit — to fit
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. prune — to trim
  13. kid — child
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. fall — to drop
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — in cards
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. prune — to trim

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