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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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. game — wild animals
  12. prune — to trim
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — to grow
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. ball — a great time

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