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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: present · bulb · stem · can · snap · wax · perch · season

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — for light
  3. snap — to click
  4. can — a tin
  5. present — there
  6. season — in sport
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. stem — to come from
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — of the year
  17. perch — the fish
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. present — a gift
  22. present — the time now
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. can — to be able to

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