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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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bank — for money
  5. bulb — for light
  6. band — a ring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cap — a hat
  9. can — to be able to
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cap — of ice
  16. fork — in a road
  17. band — a music group
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. can — a tin
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bulb — for light
  24. cap — a lid

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