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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.

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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 · bank · pop · wax · mouse · row · present · sharp

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bank — for money
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. sharp — clever
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — to grow
  9. present — a gift
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — of a river
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. row — to paddle
  20. present — the time now
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pop — music
  23. bank — for money
  24. present — there

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