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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.

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: wax · date · clip · bay · mouse · bulb · bowl · arm

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. date — the fruit
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bulb — for light
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. clip — a video
  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