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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. ball — a dance
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — low music
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stand — to bear
  14. spell — letters
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bulb — for light
  19. spell — a short time
  20. drill — army training
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. season — of the year
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bass — the fish

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