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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rule — a law
  5. toast — bread
  6. bass — low music
  7. bulb — for light
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rule — government
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. fork — in a road
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. fall — the season
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — for light

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