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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — to fit
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — a safe
  11. tear — to rip
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kid — to tease
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. tear — from crying
  19. suit — in cards
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mine — for digging
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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