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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 120 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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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: wax · cabinet · ground · mouse · game · bulb · degree · snap

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. game — a match
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. degree — from a university
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — crushed
  13. snap — to click
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. game — wild animals
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bulb — for light
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. degree — an amount

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