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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — for light
  5. face — to point toward
  6. bulb — for light
  7. clip — a video
  8. key — in music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. face — part of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. face — to confront
  14. club — a group
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. clip — for paper
  18. key — for a lock
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. key — the most important part
  24. bulb — of a plant

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