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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. wax — to grow
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wake — a trail
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chip — for betting

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