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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: wax · season · board · bulb · lean · pop · snap · coach

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bulb — for light
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. snap — to click
  6. bulb — for light
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pop — soda
  10. season — of the year
  11. lean — thin
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — to visit
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. season — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — a committee
  20. board — to get on
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. lean — to bend
  23. pop — music
  24. season — to add flavour

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