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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: suit · hand · cabinet · object · degree · bulb · bear · wax

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. degree — an amount
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. suit — to fit
  9. bulb — for light
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. object — a thing
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — temperature
  17. object — to protest
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hand — help
  21. object — an aim
  22. wax — to grow
  23. degree — from a university
  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