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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. scale — size or range
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — there
  9. wax — to grow
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. band — a music group
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. scale — in music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. lie — to recline
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a ring
  21. present — the time now
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. present — a gift
  24. pitcher — a jug

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