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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 shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wax — to grow
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. object — to protest
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pound — a weight
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — for light
  17. fine — all right
  18. object — a thing
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. object — an aim
  24. fan — to cool the air

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