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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: bulb · wax · bear · stand · bore · prune · degree · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. degree — from a university
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stand — to bear
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. prune — to trim
  14. wax — to grow
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. prune — to trim
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. degree — temperature
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bear — to put up with

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