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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: date · bulb · present · wax · fan · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — a gift
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. present — the time now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. present — there

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