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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · mouse · wax · cell · bulb · bark · shower · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rock — a stone
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wax — to grow
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. shower — rain
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. cell — a phone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rock — music
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. cell — in biology

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