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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. content — happy
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bound — certain
  6. wax — to grow
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bound — tied together
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. root — the cause
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. squash — the sport
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. bulb — for light
  22. root — of a word
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bound — obliged

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