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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. content — the amount
  7. stand — to bear
  8. wax — to grow
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. saw — the tool
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — the tool
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bulb — for light
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. kick — in football

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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