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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. bank — for money
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — to grow
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bank — for money
  18. season — in sport
  19. plane — a tool
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ball — a dance
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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