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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. sharp — clever
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cap — a hat
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wax — to grow
  14. branch — a division
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ball — a great time
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. bulb — for light
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. cap — a lid
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ball — a dance

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