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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bulb — for light
  5. staff — a stick
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. bass — low music
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. staff — employees
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — an illness
  22. staff — employees
  23. row — a line
  24. cold — not warm

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