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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. charge — in control
  9. bulb — for light
  10. charge — a price
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. wax — to grow
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bore — to tire
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — of a plant

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