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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: cabinet · cold · wax · press · lean · bulb · calf · pitcher

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. cold — not warm
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lean — to bend
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cold — an illness
  20. lean — thin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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