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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chest — a box
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. land — a country
  8. land — to come down
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. wax — to grow
  14. chest — of your body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. degree — temperature
  19. bulb — for light
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. wave — of the sea

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