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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. can — a tin
  3. field — for sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bear — the animal
  11. press — to push
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. press — newspapers
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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