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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: dip · spring · perch · bulb · wax · ground · nail · lean

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lean — thin
  3. lean — to bend
  4. dip — to sink
  5. bulb — for light
  6. spring — a coil
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spring — the season
  14. perch — the fish
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — the earth
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. spring — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. nail — on a finger

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