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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. ball — a great time
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. ball — a dance
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. deal — to handle

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