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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 120 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
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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: tube · straw · bank · cell · wax · sharp · pass · bulb

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. tube — a container
  11. cell — a phone
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bulb — for light
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. wax — for sculpting

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