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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: hide · mate · bulb · object · roll · cap · wax · ball

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. wax — to grow
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. object — an aim
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. cap — a lid
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — for light
  23. roll — on a roll
  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