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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · cabinet · drill · wax · bulb · ball · bear · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wax — to grow
  6. drill — a practice
  7. net — for catching
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bulb — for light
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. net — in sport
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. drill — army training
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a great time

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