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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. season — in sport
  5. object — a thing
  6. wax — to grow
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. land — to come down
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. land — a country
  14. field — a subject
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. field — for sport
  17. object — to protest
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. season — of the year
  21. object — an aim
  22. field — farmland
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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