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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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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: track · sharp · club · bulb · wax · tear · ground · safe

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bulb — for light
  4. track — a path
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wax — to grow
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — to rip
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tear — from crying
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. tear — from crying
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — a position
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  24. sharp — clever

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