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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. charge — a price
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — a measure
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. charge — electricity
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hand — in cards
  18. charge — in control
  19. fall — the season
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lean — thin

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