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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
468
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: root · lash · mine · wax · bulb · cap · mark · drill

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. drill — a practice
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cap — a lid
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cap — a hat
  11. drill — army training
  12. root — of a plant
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wax — to grow
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bulb — for light
  24. drill — the tool

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