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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 124 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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — a path
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wax — to grow
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. track — to keep track
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. snap — to click
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. foot — a measure
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pass — a permit
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. foot — the bottom

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