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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: wax · club · rash · hide · leaves · bulb · court · drill

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — hasty
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of a king
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. court — of law
  12. club — for golf
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. bulb — for light
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wax — to grow
  17. drill — a practice
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. court — for sport

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