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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: capital · bulb · calf · wax · plane · trunk · dip · content

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. capital — money
  8. dip — to sink
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. content — the amount
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bulb — for light
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. capital — a city
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. content — happy
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. wax — to grow

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