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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 116 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 · mark · plane · chip · bear · degree · cell · wax

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. cell — in biology
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — temperature
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chip — to eat
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. degree — an amount
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mark — a trace
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. chip — for betting
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cell — a phone

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