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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · mug · nail · straw · wax · bulb · foot · calf

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. mug — a face
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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