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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. cap — a lid
  8. can — to be able to
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. can — a tin
  12. content — happy
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bulb — for light
  22. can — a tin
  23. content — the amount
  24. plane — an aircraft

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