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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. game — wild animals
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bulb — for light
  9. pit — in a race
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. deal — to handle
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. game — a match
  22. band — a ring
  23. wax — to grow
  24. nail — for a hammer

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