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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — to rob
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. firm — a company
  7. mate — a partner
  8. capital — money
  9. content — happy
  10. firm — decided
  11. bulb — for light
  12. firm — steady
  13. mate — to breed
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mate — a friend
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. content — the amount
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. capital — a city

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