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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. bore — to drill
  5. staff — a stick
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. staff — employees
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bulb — for light
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. staff — employees
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. calf — a young animal

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