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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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: bulb · land · bark · wax · game · patient · fan · pop

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pop — music
  9. pop — soda
  10. land — to come down
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. land — a country
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. wax — to grow

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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