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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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. rest — a break
  7. cold — an illness
  8. bear — the animal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — in a race
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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