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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 116 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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. row — a line
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spring — a coil
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wax — to grow
  13. track — a song
  14. track — a path
  15. spring — the season
  16. present — there
  17. track — to keep track
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spring — of water
  22. present — a gift
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bay — a horse colour

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