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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. hand — in cards
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. hand — help
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. pound — a weight
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. wake — before a funeral

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