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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. degree — an amount
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. degree — temperature
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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