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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. charge — a price
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bound — certain
  9. bulb — for light
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ground — crushed
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. wax — to grow
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ground — a position
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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