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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. mate — to breed
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mine — for digging
  10. charge — in control
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. firm — steady
  13. charge — electricity
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. firm — a company
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. firm — decided
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. mate — a partner
  22. charge — a price
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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