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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. rock — a stone
  3. cell — in biology
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — a video
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — a phone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bulb — for light
  19. rock — music
  20. rash — hasty
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. cell — in a prison

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