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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · dip · fall · mark · clip · rest · wax · fan

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rest — a break
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. clip — for paper
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. dip — to sink
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — to grow
  14. mark — a grade
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. fall — the season
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. bulb — for light
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. mark — a trace

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