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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — to grow
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — after costs
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bound — tied together
  14. dip — to sink
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bound — obliged
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bound — certain
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. prune — to trim
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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