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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a great time
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. can — to be able to
  12. board — a committee
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. board — to get on
  18. net — after costs
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. can — a tin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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