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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. shower — to wash
  5. present — there
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — for light
  10. present — a gift
  11. lean — thin
  12. game — a match
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — to grow
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mark — a trace
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. present — the time now

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