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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. season — of the year
  6. bulb — for light
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. staff — a stick
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bulb — for light
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — from a university
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. pound — a weight
  24. degree — temperature

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