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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 124 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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wax — to grow
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. band — a music group
  10. staff — employees
  11. key — in music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. key — the most important part
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. spring — of water
  22. key — for a lock
  23. band — a ring
  24. staff — employees

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