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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 · firm · fine · bulb · bass · field · ground · hide

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. firm — a company
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. field — for sport
  6. bass — low music
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — decided
  14. ground — a position
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. field — farmland
  17. wax — to grow
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — high quality
  20. ground — crushed
  21. firm — steady
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. field — a subject
  24. hide — animal skin

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