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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. file — a line of people
  3. squash — the sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. file — a tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bear — the animal
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wax — to grow
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. squash — to crush
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a great time
  18. date — the fruit
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. file — a document

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