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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: bulb · racket · pop · rule · dip · chest · wax · mate

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pop — soda
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. chest — of your body
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wax — to grow
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rule — a law
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. rule — government
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. chest — a box

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