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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: rule · march · staff · bulb · can · wax · cell · bore

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. march — music
  3. march — the month
  4. can — a tin
  5. cell — a phone
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bore — to drill
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. staff — employees
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. rule — government
  13. bore — to tire
  14. march — the month
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. rule — a law
  18. cell — in biology
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. wax — to grow
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. bulb — for light

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