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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: hand · bulb · present · leaves · wax · rock · pop · fan

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. present — the time now
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pop — music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bulb — for light
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. hand — help
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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