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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. kid — child
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. chip — to eat
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. wax — to grow
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ball — a great time
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. ball — a dance

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