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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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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: fall · bank · bear · bulb · wax · pound · prune · key

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. wax — to grow
  4. key — the most important part
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bank — of a river
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. key — for a lock
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. bank — for money
  20. key — in music
  21. bank — for money
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. fall — the season

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