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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: board · sharp · snap · wax · cell · patient · root · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. board — to get on
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cell — in biology
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. board — a committee
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bulb — for light
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. cell — a phone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — the cause
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — to grow
  21. snap — to click
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. sharp — with an edge

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