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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. wax — to grow
  4. track — a path
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. track — a song
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. prune — to trim
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. content — the amount
  19. ground — the earth
  20. object — an aim
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. content — happy
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bear — the animal

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