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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. club — a group
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mate — to breed
  8. pound — a weight
  9. press — newspapers
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bulb — for light
  16. club — for golf
  17. wax — to grow
  18. mate — a partner
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ball — a great time
  21. bulb — for light
  22. press — to push
  23. mate — a friend
  24. wax — in the ear

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