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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. capital — a city
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. capital — money
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bulb — for light
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. rush — hurry
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. suit — to fit
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. suit — clothes
  24. wax — for sculpting

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