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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ball — a dance
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wax — to grow
  9. game — a match
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bound — certain
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — wild animals
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bound — obliged
  18. ball — a great time
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. fall — the season

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