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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. pop — soda
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. snap — to click
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. can — to be able to
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. can — a tin
  16. pop — music
  17. roll — a list
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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