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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'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — there
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. scale — in music
  11. wax — to grow
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. cue — for pool
  19. present — a gift
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bulb — for light
  22. scale — size or range
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pop — to visit

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