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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kid — to tease
  3. bulb — for light
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. kid — child
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. content — the amount
  24. trunk — of a tree

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