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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — decided
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. squash — to crush
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. squash — the sport
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — to grow
  20. firm — a company
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. firm — steady
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fan — a supporter

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