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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bulb — for light
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a ring
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — ground
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. wax — to grow
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. land — to come down
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — a stone
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. band — a music group
  22. land — a country
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wax — in the ear

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