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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rock — a stone
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bass — low music
  7. rush — hurry
  8. kid — to tease
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mate — to breed
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mate — a friend
  21. kid — child
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bass — the instrument

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