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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.

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: pitch · calf · wind · staff · can · wax · mate · bulb

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. bulb — for light
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bulb — for light
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wind — moving air
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. mate — to breed
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. staff — employees
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wind — moving air
  24. staff — employees

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