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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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. band — a ring
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bound — obliged
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — a container
  16. kick — in football
  17. bank — of a river
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. bear — the animal
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. bound — certain
  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