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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bound — obliged
  5. staff — employees
  6. prune — to trim
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. bound — tied together
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bound — certain
  11. content — the amount
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. prune — to trim
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. content — happy
  19. wax — to grow
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. staff — a stick
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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