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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — for light
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — a weight
  14. current — electric
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. current — of water

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