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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: net · mine · fork · wax · fan · lash · leaves · bulb

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. net — in sport
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. net — after costs
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fork — in a road
  14. mine — for digging
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bulb — for light
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wax — to grow
  23. net — for catching
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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