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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bulb — for light
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. wax — to grow
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. race — the arms race
  10. face — to confront
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. race — humankind
  13. face — part of the head
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. craft — a skill
  20. content — the amount
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. race — a contest
  24. wax — in the ear

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