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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: rest · march · rash · date · bulb · wax · cell · mouse

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rest — what's left
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. rash — a series
  6. cell — a phone
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. date — the fruit
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. cell — in biology

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