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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. kick — in football
  7. pop — soda
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — to grow
  10. file — a document
  11. cue — a hint
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pop — music
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. file — a tool
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. cue — for pool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bulb — for light

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