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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. rock — a stone
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spell — letters
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bound — certain
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. rock — music

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