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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 120 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. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — in cards
  11. degree — from a university
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wax — to grow
  18. degree — temperature
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hand — help
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bulb — of a plant

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