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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bulb — for light
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. key — in music
  13. pop — music
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. key — the most important part
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. fork — in a road
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pop — soda
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — to grow
  23. key — for a lock
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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