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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. mate — to breed
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mug — a face
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. kid — child
  22. mate — a partner
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. kid — to tease

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