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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've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — for light
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. track — a path
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. can — a tin
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bear — the animal
  12. press — a publisher
  13. can — to be able to
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. track — a song
  17. press — newspapers
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. toast — bread
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — a tin
  23. press — to push
  24. wax — in the ear

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