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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. wax — to grow
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. tube — a container
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. date — the fruit
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. tube — the underground
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. tube — in a tire

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