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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — electric
  5. lean — thin
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — to wash
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. current — of water
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — happening now
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pass — a permit
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — rain
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to succeed

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