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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — steady
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tube — a container
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. firm — a company
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. squash — the sport

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