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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fall — the season
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — an aim
  10. content — the amount
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. content — happy
  15. fall — to drop
  16. fall — to drop
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. object — to protest
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sports field

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