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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · jam · bay · wound · bulb · wax · wake · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wound — an injury
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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