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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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468
Word bank
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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. tube — a container
  3. club — a group
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bulb — for light
  6. kid — child
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. club — for golf
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rest — a break
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rest — what's left
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rest — what's left

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