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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: bound · bulb · temple · rush · track · leaves · can · wax

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. bulb — for light
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. track — to keep track
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — certain
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. track — a song
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rush — hurry
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — tied together
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. can — to be able to
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — a tin

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