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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — for light
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — the season
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bound — obliged
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ground — the earth
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spring — a coil
  15. craft — boats
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bound — certain
  19. spring — of water
  20. ground — crushed
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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