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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 116 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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. craft — a skill
  4. band — a ring
  5. degree — temperature
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wax — to grow
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. bulb — for light
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. craft — boats
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pound — a weight
  24. craft — a handicraft

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