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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rash — a series
  5. object — a thing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — magic
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — letters
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. object — an aim
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. object — to protest
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — to grow

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