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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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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: wax · deal · straw · cue · swing · root · bulb · calf

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. swing — music
  3. root — of a word
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. deal — to handle
  11. root — of a plant
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — to grow
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. cue — for pool
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. root — the cause
  20. swing — to play on
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. cue — a signal
  24. cue — a hint

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