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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. can — to be able to
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. present — the time now
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. cell — in biology
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. can — a tin
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. present — there
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. wound — an injury

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