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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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
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: cap · bulb · straw · lash · wax · prune · scale · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bulb — for light
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cap — a lid
  10. cap — of ice
  11. scale — size or range
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. bulb — for light
  19. prune — to trim
  20. mine — for digging
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — to trim

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