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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 116 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. rule — a law
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — for light
  5. band — a music group
  6. mug — a cup
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. mark — a trace
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rule — government
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. mark — a grade
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. rule — to rule out

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