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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fork · bat · calf · chair · staff · wax · bulb · dip

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. staff — employees
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bat — the animal
  12. fork — in a road
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — a leader
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. dip — a sauce

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