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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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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: cabinet · bound · swing · bulb · wax · bay · charge · mark

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. charge — in control
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bound — obliged
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bulb — for light
  10. swing — to play on
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. charge — a price
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. mark — a grade
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. swing — music
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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