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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wake — a trail
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. ball — a dance
  5. club — for golf
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bore — to drill
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a great time
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. row — a line
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. club — for dancing
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — to grow
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. row — to paddle
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bore — to tire

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