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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 120 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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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: wax · pound · bulb · spell · drill · present · stem · rest

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. spell — letters
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bulb — for light
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — the time now
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. drill — army training
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rest — what's left
  16. pound — a weight
  17. present — a gift
  18. rest — a break
  19. spell — magic
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. present — there
  23. drill — a practice
  24. wax — in the ear

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