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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — money
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. band — a music group
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. net — for catching
  13. tube — a container
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. net — after costs
  16. bulb — for light
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. wax — to grow
  20. saw — the tool
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. capital — a city
  24. tube — in a tire

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