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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.

Make a worksheet

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: pitcher · bay · cold · wax · bulb · pop · chair · calf

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — to visit
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. pop — music
  16. wax — to grow
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cold — an illness
  21. pop — soda
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cold — not warm

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