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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: stick · straw · arm · net · present · bulb · roll · wax

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. present — the time now
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. net — after costs
  11. present — there
  12. present — a gift
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — a list
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wax — to grow
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bulb — of a plant

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