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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kid · foot · bulb · stick · bound · mine · wax · ball

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bound — tied together
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. ball — a dance
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bound — certain
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — to tease
  17. kid — child
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bound — obliged
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bulb — for light

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