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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: wave · mine · bulb · wax · board · land · court · tube

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. court — of law
  7. court — of a king
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. board — to get on
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — for sport
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. land — a country
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — to come down

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