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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. bulb — for light
  7. track — a song
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. roll — a list
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. spring — the season
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spring — a coil
  15. swing — music
  16. track — a path
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — high quality
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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