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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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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: spell · fan · lie · lean · bulb · wax · cap · bark

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lean — thin
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cap — a hat
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. spell — magic
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. cap — of ice
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spell — letters
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — to grow

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