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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.

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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: fall · row · lean · tube · wax · bulb · spring · mouse

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. wax — to grow
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. spring — the season
  10. row — a line
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lean — thin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — a container
  19. spring — a coil
  20. fall — to drop
  21. lean — to bend
  22. spring — of water
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. wax — in the ear

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