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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.

Make a worksheet

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: last · date · plane · perch · wax · bulb · bay · lean

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. perch — the fish
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. lean — to bend
  9. last — finally
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — for light
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. lean — thin
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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