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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: key · bulb · bark · face · current · tube · board · wax

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. key — the most important part
  4. current — happening now
  5. key — for a lock
  6. tube — a container
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. current — electric
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to confront
  12. current — of water
  13. board — to get on
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bulb — for light
  18. tube — the underground
  19. board — a committee
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. face — to point toward
  22. key — in music
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. bulb — of a plant

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