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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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 — for sculpting
  2. date — the fruit
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. stock — shares
  5. current — of water
  6. wax — to grow
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bore — to drill
  11. current — happening now
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. stock — goods
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to tire
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bulb — for light
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pass — a permit
  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