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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wax — to grow
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. chest — of your body
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — a box
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. present — the time now
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. present — there
  24. bulb — for light

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