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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bulb — for light
  7. firm — decided
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — there
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. land — to come down
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. present — a gift
  20. firm — steady
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — a company
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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