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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. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. current — happening now
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rock — music
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — a safe
  18. face — to confront
  19. pit — in a race
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. face — to point toward
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. rock — to move gently

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