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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: lean · toast · bank · bass · wax · bulb · charge · pop

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bank — of a river
  3. lean — thin
  4. wax — to grow
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lean — to bend
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. charge — electricity
  10. bulb — for light
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bass — the fish
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. toast — bread
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. bank — for money
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bank — for money
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. bass — low music
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. charge — in control

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