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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: bark · mate · stand · bulb · temple · clip · hide · wax

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mate — a friend
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. stand — to bear
  18. clip — to cut
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bulb — for light
  22. clip — a video
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. clip — for paper

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