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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — to grow
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — a break
  6. court — of a king
  7. rest — what's left
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. scale — size or range
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. court — for sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. bulb — for light
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. snap — to click
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. wax — for sculpting

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