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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. kid — child
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mark — a grade
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — for light
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pit — a hole
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wax — to grow
  16. pop — music
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pit — in a race
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. pass — to spend time

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