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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.

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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: wax · craft · mug · saw · bulb · drill · wound · straw

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — to grow
  5. drill — a practice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mug — a face
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — boats
  12. wound — an injury
  13. drill — the tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. drill — army training
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. craft — a skill
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. mug — a cup
  24. wound — an injury

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