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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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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: cell · calf · mark · fork · ruler · bulb · wax · kid

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. fork — in a road
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. kid — child
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. mark — a grade
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mark — a trace
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. kid — to tease
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wax — to grow
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bulb — for light

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