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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. dip — to sink
  3. mate — to breed
  4. wax — to grow
  5. field — a subject
  6. bulb — for light
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — to tease
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pass — a permit
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. field — for sport
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wax — for sculpting

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