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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 · straw · bark · mine · toast · wax · lash · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. date — the fruit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. toast — bread
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. lash — an eyelash

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