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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: wave · key · rule · wax · cold · bulb · lean · date

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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. rule — a law
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. cold — an illness
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bulb — for light
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. rule — government
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. date — the fruit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. cold — not warm

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