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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. pop — music
  3. cell — in biology
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pop — to visit
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. pop — soda
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. swing — music
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. swing — to play on
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cell — a phone
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

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