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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: bulb · object · net · bore · wax · file · can · jam

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. can — a tin
  3. object — a thing
  4. net — for catching
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. file — a tool
  7. net — in sport
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. object — an aim
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bulb — for light
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. bore — to tire
  15. can — a tin
  16. file — a document
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bore — to drill
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bulb — for light
  23. file — a line of people
  24. net — after costs

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