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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: field · lean · wax · rock · bulb · tube · mate · stand

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mate — a partner
  4. field — a subject
  5. tube — the underground
  6. field — for sport
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wax — to grow
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rock — music
  13. tube — a container
  14. lean — thin
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lean — to bend
  17. field — farmland
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — to breed

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