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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. object — to protest
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — an aim
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wax — to grow
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fall — to drop
  19. rash — a series
  20. object — a thing
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fall — the season
  23. bear — to put up with
  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