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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. deal — to handle
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rash — a series
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. degree — an amount
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. plane — a tool
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — in music
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — from a university
  22. degree — temperature
  23. rash — hasty
  24. arm — part of the body

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