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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. ground — a position
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — the earth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — newspapers
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. bear — the animal
  13. stand — to bear
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — to push
  16. fine — all right
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bear — to put up with

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