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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 museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. stand — to bear
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. field — farmland
  6. object — a thing
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. field — for sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. field — a subject
  11. content — the amount
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. craft — a skill
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — happy
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — for light

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