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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: land · wax · bulb · last · cabinet · pit · stem · trunk

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  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. last — to go on
  2. land — ground
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. stem — to come from
  21. land — a country
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. land — to come down
  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