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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bulb — for light
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. wax — to grow
  9. saw — the tool
  10. row — a line
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. tube — a container
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. degree — an amount
  16. degree — temperature
  17. tube — the underground
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. can — a tin
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. can — a tin
  23. row — to paddle
  24. degree — from a university

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