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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.

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: lash · drill · bulb · ground · cue · perch · wax · date

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — to grow
  9. ground — crushed
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ground — the earth
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — a position

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