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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. face — to point toward
  4. root — the cause
  5. face — part of the head
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. spring — a coil
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. face — to confront
  18. bulb — for light
  19. root — of a word
  20. spring — of water
  21. mark — a grade
  22. root — of a plant
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — the season

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