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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. bulb — for light
  5. kid — child
  6. spell — magic
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. spell — a short time
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a dance
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spell — letters
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pass — a permit
  20. board — a committee
  21. kid — to tease
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cabinet — ministers

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