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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — a practice
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bark — to shout
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — to bear
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. pop — soda
  21. drill — army training
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pop — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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