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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: cap · bulb · cell · wax · suit · arm

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bulb — for light
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cap — a hat
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cell — a phone
  10. suit — clothes
  11. cap — a lid
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cap — of ice
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cell — in a prison

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