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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: march · snap · lean · lash · jam · bulb · wax · foot

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. snap — to click
  3. march — the month
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bulb — for light
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. march — music
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bulb — for light
  16. march — the month
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — thin
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. wax — to grow
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wax — in the ear

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