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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — a series
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. toast — bread
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pound — a weight
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — hasty
  22. roll — a list
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. wax — in the ear

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