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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 120 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 · tube · mouse · capital · charge · chest · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — of your body
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wax — to grow
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. tube — a container
  9. charge — a price
  10. bulb — for light
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bear — the animal
  13. capital — money
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. chest — a box
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tube — the underground
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bulb — for light
  22. charge — in control
  23. capital — a city
  24. wax — for sculpting

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