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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. pop — soda
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — goods
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fall — the season
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. pop — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. rash — a series
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. rash — hasty
  24. date — the fruit

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