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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bulb — for light
  3. current — electric
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. ground — crushed
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. current — happening now
  12. bound — tied together
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bound — certain
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. current — of water
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wax — for sculpting

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