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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. drill — army training
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pop — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. present — the time now
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. present — a gift
  16. drill — a practice
  17. present — there
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — to grow

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