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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: lie · plane · wax · board · bark · bulb · pop · mate

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — music
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — to get on
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pop — to visit
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. plane — a tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wax — to grow
  16. board — a committee
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pop — soda
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bulb — of a plant

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