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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 116 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: wax · fan · lie · march · bulb · row · deal · nail

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. march — the month
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. deal — to handle
  7. march — music
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. march — the month
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. lie — to recline
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wax — to grow
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  24. bulb — for light

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