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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. wax — to grow
  4. net — after costs
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — a series
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. net — in sport
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. rock — to move gently

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