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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: dip · wax · field · staff · mate · mouse · bulb · clip

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bulb — for light
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. staff — employees
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mate — a friend
  16. field — farmland
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wax — to grow
  21. mate — to breed
  22. clip — a video
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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