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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. squash — the sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bulb — for light
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. content — happy
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bat — the animal
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — to crush
  24. content — the amount

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