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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. bulb — for light
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. content — happy
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. tube — the underground
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. content — the amount
  24. tube — a container

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