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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: bulb · band · rock · bore · file · date · wax · foot

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  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. date — the fruit
  2. bulb — for light
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bulb — for light
  5. file — a line of people
  6. rock — music
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. rock — a stone
  13. file — a tool
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wax — to grow
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. band — a music group
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. band — a ring
  23. file — a document
  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