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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. mine — for digging
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. wax — to grow
  5. current — electric
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lean — thin
  12. current — of water
  13. ball — a great time
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bulb — for light
  22. craft — boats
  23. scale — in music
  24. scale — for weighing

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