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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bound — tied together
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. craft — boats
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — certain
  13. tube — the underground
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. field — for sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — a subject
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. craft — a skill

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