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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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468
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: rock · lean · wax · bulb · field · bear · ball · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. rock — a stone
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — a subject
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rock — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. field — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bulb — for light
  24. wax — to grow

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