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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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. charge — electricity
  5. fine — high quality
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fall — the season
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hand — help
  14. charge — in control
  15. charge — a price
  16. fine — all right
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a ring
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a music group
  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