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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: wax · bulb · net · deal · kick · prune · ball · wind

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bulb — for light
  5. net — in sport
  6. prune — to trim
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a dance
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. kick — in football
  15. wind — moving air
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. ball — a great time
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bulb — of a plant

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