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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. capital — a city
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stock — shares
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. craft — a skill
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. stock — goods
  18. kick — in football
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bulb — for light
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wax — to grow
  24. capital — money

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