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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: temple · stick · charge · lean · cap · wax · wound · bulb

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. charge — a price
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wax — to grow
  6. bulb — for light
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. wound — an injury
  9. cap — a lid
  10. charge — in control
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. lean — thin
  22. cap — of ice
  23. charge — electricity
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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