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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: coach · mark · club · jam · trunk · lean · wax · bulb

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bulb — for light
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. club — for golf
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wax — to grow
  19. mark — a trace
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. jam — a tight spot

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