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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. current — of water
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bulb — for light
  7. current — happening now
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bat — the animal
  10. wax — to grow
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. current — electric
  17. rock — music
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bowl — a dish

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