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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: cue · bulb · wax · mine · pop · spell · temple · firm

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. firm — steady
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. pop — soda
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — to grow
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. firm — decided
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cue — for pool
  24. pop — music

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