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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
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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: object · suit · sharp · bulb · capital · hand · mine · wax

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bulb — for light
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. capital — a city
  10. hand — in cards
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. object — to protest
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. object — an aim
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. capital — money
  19. mine — for digging
  20. wax — to grow
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — help
  23. object — a thing
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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