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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. spring — the season
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — in football
  15. spring — of water
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. spring — a coil
  18. wax — to grow
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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