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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. club — a group
  3. ground — a position
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a ring
  10. bass — low music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. kick — in football
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. club — for golf
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. band — a music group
  17. bulb — for light
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — for sculpting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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