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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — music
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. dip — to sink
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. bat — the animal
  24. wax — for sculpting

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