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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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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: bore · shower · wax · lean · bulb · trunk · degree · suit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — to wash
  5. lean — thin
  6. bulb — for light
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. suit — in cards
  10. wax — to grow
  11. lean — to bend
  12. degree — from a university
  13. suit — clothes
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — temperature
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — to fit
  20. bore — to tire
  21. degree — an amount
  22. shower — rain
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. wax — in the ear

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