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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — the most important part
  11. staff — employees
  12. key — in music
  13. row — to paddle
  14. staff — a stick
  15. key — for a lock
  16. staff — employees
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. date — the fruit
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. row — a line

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