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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a song
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. object — an aim
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. race — a contest
  11. object — a thing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. track — a path
  15. race — the arms race
  16. object — to protest
  17. race — humankind
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. spell — magic
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — letters
  24. wax — to grow

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