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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fine — all right
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. pop — soda
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pop — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. deal — to handle
  19. wax — to grow
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. fine — high quality

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