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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 116 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. band — a ring
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bulb — for light
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. fine — all right
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fine — high quality
  21. field — farmland
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a music group
  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