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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fine — high quality
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. clip — to cut
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — to drill
  16. clip — a video
  17. clip — for paper
  18. object — an aim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wax — to grow
  23. object — a thing
  24. fan — to cool the air

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