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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 120 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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — of ice
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. spring — of water
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. spring — a coil
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bulb — for light
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bulb — for light
  15. spring — the season
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. can — a tin
  18. cap — a lid
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wax — to grow
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cap — a hat
  24. nail — for a hammer

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