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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mate — to breed
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bass — low music
  13. wax — to grow
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pound — a weight
  19. mate — a friend
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — a partner
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bass — the fish

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