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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. wake — a trail
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. spell — letters
  13. spell — magic
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. ball — a great time
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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