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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. branch — a division
  11. chip — for betting
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. bulb — for light
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. rush — hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. chip — to eat
  24. court — of law

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