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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: wave · season · kick · nail · bulb · wax · pitcher · fan

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. kick — in football
  4. season — of the year
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. bulb — for light
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. season — in sport
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. nail — for a hammer

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