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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. track — a song
  4. fall — to drop
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wound — an injury
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. track — a path
  16. plane — a tool
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. track — to keep track
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fall — the season
  24. wax — for sculpting

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