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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — low music
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fall — the season
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bass — the fish
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — to grow
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bulb — for light

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