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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. key — the most important part
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — a container
  12. squash — the sport
  13. lie — to recline
  14. key — for a lock
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. wax — for sculpting

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