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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: rash · ball · wax · bat · bulb · stem · deal · cabinet

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a dance
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wax — to grow
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bat — the animal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stem — a stem cell

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