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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 120 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. firm — a company
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. land — to come down
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. ball — a great time
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. land — a country
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. firm — steady
  24. land — ground

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