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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — a company
  7. firm — steady
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. land — ground
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — a country
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. net — in sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. firm — decided
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. net — for catching
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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