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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. drill — army training
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — a measure
  16. wind — moving air
  17. fall — the season
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. drill — a practice
  20. craft — boats
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. foot — the bottom

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