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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: arm · wake · tube · bulb · pit · snap · wax · bore

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. tube — a container
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. snap — to click
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bulb — for light
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wax — to grow
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. wake — a trail
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bore — to drill

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