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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 124 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. court — for sport
  11. branch — a division
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. last — final
  21. last — finally
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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