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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: bear · scale · snap · plane · wax · mate · pop · bulb

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. snap — to click
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — music
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pop — to visit
  18. mate — to breed
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. scale — size or range
  23. wax — to grow
  24. wax — in the ear

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