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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: wax · cue · perch · chip · bulb · lean · season · bark

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. cue — for pool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. cue — a signal
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bulb — for light
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. season — in sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. lean — thin
  17. season — of the year
  18. perch — the fish
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — to shout

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