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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mate — a friend
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cold — an illness
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mate — to breed
  20. cold — not warm
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. racket — for tennis

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