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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: mine · wax · pound · hide · bay · pass · march · bulb

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 — for light
  2. wax — to grow
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  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