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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: bat · rash · wax · mate · net · bulb · trunk · last

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. mate — to breed
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a partner
  8. rash — a series
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bat — the animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — a friend
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. last — finally
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bat — in an idiom

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