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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. bulb — for light
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. kick — in football
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. land — a country
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lean — thin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — to grow
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. key — for a lock
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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