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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: wax · mate · court · tube · march · arm · bound · bulb

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. court — of a king
  3. tube — a container
  4. march — music
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bound — obliged
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. mate — to breed
  16. wax — to grow
  17. march — the month
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. bound — certain
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. tube — the underground
  23. march — the month
  24. mate — a friend

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