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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. cell — a phone
  3. pop — music
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. stem — to come from
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pop — soda
  19. wax — to grow
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. safe — out of danger

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