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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mate — a friend
  4. suit — to fit
  5. face — to confront
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wax — to grow
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fine — all right
  20. suit — clothes
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. face — to point toward

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