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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 116 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: bulb · season · lie · spell · race · wax · fan · march

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wax — to grow
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. march — the month
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. race — a contest
  12. season — of the year
  13. march — the month
  14. lie — to recline
  15. march — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. race — the arms race
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. race — humankind

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