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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. drill — army training
  4. wax — to grow
  5. drill — a practice
  6. bank — for money
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bank — of a river
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bank — for money
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bulb — for light
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. perch — the fish
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. perch — for a bird

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